I have been living in Madrid, Spain, for a little over two months, and I wanted to share some of the things I have been enjoying the most. While not everything has been perfect, I would say I am having a net-positive experience. After a stressful few weeks, I wanted to turn my attention to all of the things I love here — my favorites of Madrid.
My Regular Spots
There are some places I have gone to many times since I arrived. These are spots I would recommend to anyone visiting Madrid!
El Retiro Park
This one is not a hidden gem — everyone knows El Retiro Park in Madrid, but it’s a must-see for a reason. The park is huge, with almost 350 acres of land, and full of trees and paths to walk on. Even though there are usually lots of people, there is plenty of space, so you can always find a spot to lay a picnic blanket and take in nature. There is also a lake in the center where you can ride boats. I recently visited it during sunset and caught a gorgeous view of the golden light hitting the Monument to Alfonso XII, which is right where the water is. When it was warmer, I’d go to Retiro to run or picnic with friends. Now that it’s fall, I go to stroll the paths under the orange and yellow trees.
Zéfir Cafe
Right in Malasaña and only a three-minute walk from my apartment is Zéfir, a cafe for specialty coffee and matcha. I am a matcha girl through and through, and I will say it has not been easy finding a good matcha in Madrid. I have tried many places, but I always come back to Zéfir for their matcha. Plus, the pastries are lovely, and the service is great. The atmosphere is very unique — not your typical sitting-area design. I always go there if I want to treat myself to a nice drink before class.
Vira Vira
This has to be my favorite spot for street food. I recommend Vira Vira to anyone asking where to get a good bite. It is Turkish/Greek/Mediterranean food, and it makes me hungry just thinking about it. They have foods like beef, chicken, and falafel made in lavash, plates, and boxes. I always opt for a beef lavash. I go to the one in Malasaña, also right by my place. The people who work there are very kind and treat me as a regular, which I always appreciate. Let’s just say if I have the funds to get Vira Vira, I am getting Vira Vira (usually about 11 euros for the decent-sized lavash).
Bule Bule & F*cking Monday
Bule Bule comes in first as my favorite nightclub. Bule Bule has great music and enough space to dance, since it isn’t as crowded as other popular clubs in Madrid. I am partial to dancing to songs with words, so Bule Bule is my Saturday night favorite with friends. They play the classic club songs in English and Spanish, as well as some oldies like Queen. I feel like in other clubs, I am always waiting to hear that classic song everyone gets excited for, but at Bule Bule, most songs are like that.
My second favorite club — to no surprise of anyone who has gone abroad in Madrid — is F*cking Monday. It is an event every Monday night hosted at a club called Shoko. Shoko isn’t bad on the weekend, but the vibe is entirely different on Monday nights. There’s way more energy. What I love about it is that it gives you a reason to look forward to Monday. Mondays are typically something to dread; the weekend is over, and you have to go back to work or school, but if you get tickets to F*cking Monday, there is something to get excited about. Inside the club are neon signs saying, “F*ck Tuesday Mornings,” and it makes me laugh every time. Before Madrid, I would have never thought to go out on a Monday, but here it is not unusual. It is definitely an experience I can’t do every single week, but it’s a f*cking good time.
Cien Montaditos
All over the city is a chain of bars called Cien Montaditos. I don’t know how many different ones I’ve been to because they really are everywhere. They have cheap drinks and little plates. My friends and I often go once a week on a school night — because the point is more to socialize, rather than drink. It’s a nice break from our academics or work. We’ll get beers and just catch up.
My Family & Friends
As I mentioned in my past Abroad Stories article, my two older brothers, River and March, live in Madrid as well. I currently live with March in the neighborhood of Malasaña. We are having a lot of fun; it’s like when we were kids, except we hit each other less (however, I do still hit him). We cook together, shop together, and he is always knocking on my door to hang out. I will ask if he wants to watch TV with me, and he’ll say no — then five minutes later he comes into my room saying, “I’m bored.” River lives in a different neighborhood, but I still see him every week!
The other great part about my brothers being here is that I have infiltrated their friend group. It is a really fun group of people from all different parts. We hang out very regularly, whether it’s a Friday night at the club or a Tuesday at the park. It is also a group with a wide age range, from 20 to 28. A lot of us are at different stages of our lives, but it doesn’t feel that way. When everyone gets together, it is always fun. I feel fortunate that all of them have become my friends too — like I have been adopted. River and March are probably worried I’ll be their favorite sibling, but I can’t control that.
March and I adore one of our roommates, Toni. She is from Berlin and is an absolute angel. She has the biggest room on the floor and has a balcony — pre-games there before a night out have become a tradition. Since I have no windows in my room, she always offers to let me hang out there so I can get some natural light. Sometimes at night she knocks on my door just to chat about our day, which fills my heart. While we have experienced some issues with the apartment itself (such as very frequent power outages), we always say, “at least we have each other.”
My Bolder Self
I have noticed that here, I am much more confident and self-assured than usual. In the States, I tend to be anxious about talking in class or being in social situations where I don’t know a lot of people. Here, it feels like I care a lot less.
When I’m at school, I like to be heard and say what I’m thinking. In new social settings, I don’t feel so much pressure to be liked or worry about things getting awkward. In fact, the awkward moments I find funny rather than uncomfortable. This all may be due to knowing in the back of my mind that it’s temporary — that I likely won’t see most of these people in the future when I return to the States. Nonetheless, a win is a win.
When I was a child, I loved to be the center of attention. I wanted people to look at me. That all changed when I entered middle school and has continued through most of my young adult life. However, it seems like I am switching back. I like attention more. I like when people notice me. I don’t blush as much as I used to whenever someone looked me in the eyes (unless it is a cute boy, in which case I’m only human).
It is so different from the past few years, and I am honestly so glad. I feared thinking I want to be noticed was far behind me — that I would always want to hide; but I don’t want to anymore. Maybe it is being abroad, maybe it is me growing and becoming more myself again, or maybe it is just my Lexapro working its magic, but I will accept this bolder, brighter version of myself.
Romanticizing Everything
Having and experiencing these things have been some of the best parts about living in Madrid so far! If there is one thing I am trying to do most at this moment in Madrid, it is to romanticize everything and stay optimistic. I am grateful to be here, and don’t want to focus on whatever goes wrong. The time I have is temporary, so I’ll take my wins and spin my losses — and turn to these things that make me happy.